The present invention relates to absorbent articles, and more particularly to surgical sponges.
Surgical sponges are commonly used during surgical procedures to absorb body fluids of the patient both inside the incision and around the site of surgery. Sponges of this nature are usually made of an open-meshed absorbent fabric, such as woven cotton.
It is important, of course, that all of such sponges be removed from the patient's body after surgery is complete and before the incision has been closed. Accordingly, it is a standard procedure for the surgical team to carefully count the sponges both before placement in the incision and after removal from the incision to reduce the possibility that a sponge may be left in the patient.
In spite of such safety measures, sponges have been occasionally lost, particularly when an unexpected emergency disrupted the normal operative routine such as counting, which is subject to human error. When saturated by body fluids, such as blood, the sponges become significantly reduced in size and assume a color the same as some types of body tissue, thus making visual detection of the sponges extremely difficult. As a result, it has been required to provide the sponges with a flexible insert which is opaque to X-rays. In case of a disputed or nontallying sponge count in the operating room, or in case of unexpected or unexplainable post-operative discomfort on the part of the patient, a portable X-ray unit is brought to the patient and an X-ray exposure should reveal the presence or absence of a lost sponge. A negative plate should be reassurance to the surgeon that he and his operative team have not left a sponge in the patient. Nevertheless, it is desirable that the patient be provided additional assurance a sponge does not remain in his body, and that the number of instances an X-ray is necessary be minimized, whether or not additional surgery would ultimately be required to remove a lost sponge.